The End Crowns All
by Jack of All Suits
Summary: No more tears?" "No." Fifteen years after their initial meeting, Sakura has her last conversation with Kakashi. -Character Death-One-Shot


**A/N: This is my first Naruto Fic, so I apologize in advance for any OOC-ness. And for killing Kakashi. **

"You can stop now."

Her hand stayed firmly where it was, pumping healing chakra steadily into his torso, healing the very literal hole in his chest-- more specifically the anterior wall of the left ventricle of his heart. Sakura looked up at her sensei curiously, momentarily putting it down as a delirious attempt to push her out of his personal bubble. "If I did that you would die, Kakashi-Sensei." She reminded calmly.

"I'm aware."

That caught her attention and Sakura frowned, concentrating both on the wound and his voice at the same time. It was quite surprising that he wasn't unconscious. He had been pulled in by a returning ANBU unit several hours ago, and the medics had spent a large majority of that time coaxing poison from his system while attempting to stabilize the wound. As of now Sakura was the only one working on him. After the poison had been removed, it was just the drawn-out task of resealing his heart.

By rights, he ought to have been out cold.

By rights, he was also Hatake Kakashi.

She continued the slow work of repairing his most important organ, patiently keeping its beating steady and regular. Shinobi like Kakashi had a bad tendency of avoiding injury until Karma beat them with heavily-poisoned knives to the heart. It was what he deserved, though, for going on S-Class missions alone. "Honestly," Sakura huffed, pounding more chakra through his wounded muscle. "What's Tsunade-Shishou thinking?" She grumbled, checking his vitals quickly. "S-Class missions by yourself . . . " She looked at Kakashi, and was still disturbed by the alertness in his gaze. Normally anyone conscious at this stage would have a funny, glazed look over them.

But Kakashi was not a normal man. He was brilliant, frightening, powerful and incredibly silly when it meant most. When a situation got too tense as Genin he would pull out his book, and although Naruto or Sasuke would fall for it and relax with some banter about unprofessional behavior, she could always see his eyes darting back and forth, never even sparing the pages a glance. She knew her Sensei better than he thought.

"You know, Kakashi-Sensei," She began cheerfully, finding his stare unnerving, "It's ironic that you're here today." She looked over at him, and the visible eyebrow raised in question.

"Oh really? And why is that?"

He didn't sound like he really wanted to know, but one could never be sure with Mister Hatake. "Did you know today marks exactly fifteen years since Naruto, Sasuke and I met you?" She smiled brightly and slightly increased her chakra flow into the wound.

He looked quite interested now, watching Sakura silently with a tilted head before replying. "Fifteen, huh . . . time goes by fast." He offered her the crinkled eye(Albeit nowadays it was creased at the edges) that she had learned to take as a smile.

"Yep. Which forces me to say that you should slow down, Kakashi." The twenty-seven-year-old looked down at her patient with new strictness. "You're almost forty-two, and whether you like it or not, you can't keep taking these crazy missions." She pushed some more healing chakra into his chest and watched for any change. It was going through, but the wound just wasn't closing. "Ah, and Yasashiku wants to know if Uncle-Kaka-Sensei can attend his third birthday party." She smiled at him and Kakashi's eye became a crescent again, though his response didn't quite satisfy her.

"I'm afraid I'll have to pass, but his gift is in the main hallway closet in my apartment."

"What? Why? 'Shiku's looking forward to you being there!" She kept her focus while berating him. "And why can't you at least give him the gift yourself?" Sakura frowned irritably.

"I'll be out of town." Kakashi responded bluntly, closing his eyes for several moments before looking back at her, though his old student was once again concentrated on her task at hand.

He was quite proud of her, if truth-be-known. She had grown up in ways he couldn't have imagined. She was a successful Medic-Nin, very rarely going on missions. Her strength was a plus on the battlefield, but her most obvious talent had to be observed, and so she stayed in the hospital, saving the lives that needed saving.

It had been seven years ago that Sakura had tied the knot in a ceremony Kakashi was unlikely to forget. The petit cherry-blossom had broken all expectations when Sasuke returned by quite literally pounding the living Hell out of him and declaring her engagement to one Masato Ishiwara. Finally she had overcome her obsession and had obtained a good-natured and loving husband. He worked as a retail manager in Konoha's downtown with no background of ever being or knowing a Shinobi, but at least Sakura would never have to come home to find that he had been killed in the line of duty– unless a mannequin assaulted him(This had happened once, but it was a whole different story)

Kakashi's pride had grown considerably more when their Team's Cherry Blossom had announced her pregnancy with Yasashiku. She had strolled bold as brass into the Hokage's tower and had affirmed Tsunade that she was to become a Grandma. Naruto and Sasuke were Godfathers(The latter having recovered quite well from his previous attack) and the Copy-Nin was Uncle-Kakashi-Sensei.

Seeing a baby with peach-pink hair had been heart-lifting indeed, though his humongous brown eyes could be attributed to his father. The years had gone quickly, and it was quite a regular occurrence for Naruto, Sasuke or Kakashi to be seen trudging down the street with an inquisitive ball of energy clinging to their knees.

The Copy-Nin looked up at last and surveyed her vaguely. The ache in his chest was growing steadily worse, but in true shinobi style he was ignoring the agonizing stabs of pain with practiced ease, instead watching his old student as if expecting her to sprout antlers.

Sakura could feel him studying her, and felt quite put-out. Her mind remained focused on healing, but it was irritating to feel him drilling into the side of her head. Inwardly she cursed his lack of sensitivity; didn't he know if she screwed up he would die? It might have been hard to consider, seeing how he appeared to be wide awake and perfectly aware of his surroundings, but the man was still hanging between life and death. "_What_?" Sakura finally demanded, looking up with smoldering irritation as the Copy-Nin just continued to look at her like she was some sort of misguided, dumb, and entirely oblivious sheep. "_What?_" She demanded again.

"I said you can stop." Kakashi said shortly, settling his head against the pillows and gesturing to his chest. "I just wasn't sure if you heard me."

"I heard," The young woman responded briskly, "But you'll die if I stop, so you're going to have to deal with it."

"Exactly." A black-brown eye locked with green, and Sakura's eyebrows furrowed, giving her forehead an unnatural crease.

"Exactly I should be saving your life? Or exactly, I should _not_ be saving your life?" She asked warily, her mind racing for his meaning. Surely Kakashi wasn't suicidal. He was far too cheerful for that, and the village still needed him. There were stories that he would be Tsunade's replacement in the event of her death. The Copy-Ninja Hatake Kakashi held Konoha's reputation in his hands. He was at the head of a long line of shinobi that struck fear in their enemies.

"You shouldn't." He said calmly.

Sakura felt his pulse dropping, and tried to speed it up with her chakra, only to find once again that it entered his body, but did nothing to his condition. "What are you doing?" She finally cried. "Kakashi,_what are you doing?_"

He looked at her peacefully. "I'm rerouting your chakra." He explained placidly. "It's been healing my leg for some time now."

Sakura balked and redoubled her efforts, but Kakashi painfully raised his hand, and clasped it around her wrist. "Don't. I know your chakra pattern well enough to reroute whatever you send." He watched her continue to try and sighed heavily. "This is what I want, Sakura," His breathing had become slightly labored as the effects of the wound began to take place. "Everyone I care for is either dead or old enough to fend for themselves." He watched her face for a reaction. "I'm getting too old to do all I have left, and I don't want to die of natural causes."

Sakura shook her head and continued her futile efforts. "You're just delirious from blood loss, Kakashi-Sensei." She said shrilly. "You've got lots of reasons to be here, and I want you to stay." She sniffled rather pathetically.

"Sakura, I–"

"Please don't die, Kaka-Sensei!" She cried as tears began rolling down her face. "What about 'Shiku? He's so young, and you're his favorite!" She shook her head. "He's not old enough."

Kakashi looked at her for several long moments with sympathy. "He's got two of the best parents in the world, and more than enough people to take my place." He said softly. "Please, Sakura. I don't want to die with you crying like this." His grip on her wrist weakened but he still managed to pull her hand away from his chest.

The younger Medic turned away and breathed deeply, solidifying the fact that she couldn't save him in her mind before considering what was to happen. He only had minutes left. There was no way to call Naruto or Sasuke. She would be the last one he saw in the Living World.

Sakura turned back to the bed and could not stifle a quiet gasp.

Kakashi laid watching her with his two eyes, Sharingan wide and red. His mask was gone, and she found herself memorizing the features before they became still with death. Two high, pale cheekbones, a perfect nose. Her heart leapt greatly as his soft, rosy pink lips curled into the first and last real smile she would ever see from him. "I think I'm ready." He said softly.

Sakura jumped at his voice and hurried to his side. "Do you . . . do you want Icha Icha?" She asked, however dumb it sounded. The man had been with that old book for more than fifteen years, it was only right to ask.

"No." He said gently. "No masks."

She nodded slowly and bent down, for Kakashi's voice was growing faint. As she lowered, however, Sakura noticed the glint of her black, streamlined wristwatch, and with a slightly mischievous smile she removed it and closed his fist around it. "So you aren't late in the afterlife."

He gave a bark of laughter and took her hand in his, holding it loosely. "No more tears?" He asked finally.

"No." Sakura replied, blinking rapidly.

"Good girl." He squeezed her hand weakly.

A gust of wind stirred the autumn leaves in Konoha as on Hatake Kakashi breathed his last.


End file.
